By SAMMY JULIAN
Manila News Bureau Chief
MANILA — President Benigno Aquino III has given the green light to the P96-billion rehabilitation blueprints for Tacloban City and five other provinces ravaged by super typhoon “Yolanda.”
Programs on shelter, livelihood, infrastructure, social services, and support were included in the post-“Yolanda” rehabilitation plans that the President approved on Friday.
The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) could now release the funds for the local rehabilitation plans, said Presidential Assistant for Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Panfilo Lacson.
Local rehabilitation plans for the provinces of Leyte, Samar, Cebu, Iloilo, and Eastern Samar have also been approved.
Meantime, Lacson intends to submit to President Aquino the comprehensive rehabilitation master plan for all “Yolanda”-hit communities early next month.
The master plan will reportedly cost around P169 billion, including the P96 billion already allotted for the local rehabilitation plans in the six areas.
In May, the President approved in principle the post-“Yolanda” rehabilitation plan but asked the Cabinet to fine-tune some items of the plan aimed to help the typhoon victims recover from the tragedy.
Malacañang earlier explained that the government is not deliberately hastening the rehabilitation works in “Yolanda”-hit communities just because of the upcoming visit of Pope Francis in the country.
The government will implement the reconstruction plan of communities devastated by the super typhoon “based on the schedule that we have, not because Pope Francis will be coming here,” Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said.
“If you’re suggesting that what we’re doing right now is for show, no, it’s not,” Lacierda said. “Secretary Ping Lacson has been on the ground working hard to ensure that the programs, the rehabilitation and reconstruction moves are as they should be.”
“We’re not going to do this because Pope Francis is coming here. We’re going to do this because this is required from government to build back better,” he stressed./PN
